Norfolk Academy faculty and staff recommend books!

Lynn Paul – Batten Library Director

On its face, Bel Canto is an account of a hostage situation executed by a South American terrorist group in a bid to gain political influence. At its heart, though, it’s an investigation into building a society from the ground up. How does a small, stranded group of people form a social order? It’s a gorgeous exploration of human psychology.

More than a year after reading it, I can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s both troubling and hopeful — troubling in its exploration of racial injustice, hopeful in offering the possibility that we can find a better way forward.